Statue of Pépézuc

Pépézuc Square is a small space in the historic centre that bears the name of one of Béziers’ most endearing and ancient figures. Before you stands the statue of Pépézuc, an open-air copy of a Roman marble statue nearly two thousand years old, now kept in the Musée du Biterrois. The original no longer has a head or arms, and its identity remains uncertain: perhaps the emperor Augustus, perhaps a governor in charge of restoring the Via Domitia, or simply a local dignitary. But the people of Béziers gave it another identity. In the Middle Ages, it was already nicknamed “Pépézuc”, probably because its posture appears slightly unsteady. It quickly became a popular hero. Legend says that a captain of the same name drove back the English in 1355 during the Black Prince’s raid, preventing the soldiers from entering nearby Rue Française, Béziers’ main thoroughfare. And so Pépézuc became the city’s mythical defender. Over the centuries, the people of Béziers made him a familiar figure: during the medieval Caritats festivals, he was painted, dressed, danced around, and people cried “Vive Pépézuc!” as if he were still alive. Even today, his name reappears during the revived celebrations, and his statue proudly marks the entrance to Rue Française, right where tradition says he once protected the city.